Heir
by Aradia Star
Summary: [series] My take on what might happen next.
1. Explanation and Goodbye

Title?

author: viorica

Synopsis: My take on what happens after Conclave. Because I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for next season to see what happens. Also, I'm a shipper, and I'm DAMN PROUD of it.

Chapter One

"Now," Marcus said, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "I'd like to ask you a question."

"Mmm-hmm." she replied absently, tilting her head, enjoying his touch.

The next thing she knew, her face was twisted around so that she was staring up into Marcus's angry eyes. Angry, and glinting with what might have been tears.

"_How long have you been working for Blade_?" he growled.

She blinked up at him with wide eyes. "You're hurting me!"

"_Answer me!_"

"S-since before you turned me." she stammered. "After- well, what the hell was I supposed to do? Just because I'd been turned into one of you-"

He released her suddenly, so suddenly that she stumbled. He took her forearms gently, steadying her. "I understand why you did it." His voice was soft, sad even. "You had an excuse. Chase didn't."

"Do you really think she's alive?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "But you're right about one thing, Krista. I'll have to underground for a while." he took her face in his hands and nuzzled her. "You won't see me for a while."

"But . . ." Her eyes swam with tears. Separation, yes, she had been prepared for that. But not to see him at all? "How long?"

He shook his head regretfully. "A few months. Six, maybe."

"Si-" She closed her eyes briefly. "I want to go with you."

"You can't."

"But-"

"Krista," His voice was firmer now. "It's not safe for you. Go back to the hotel. Law low there. You'll see me again, I promise. Just- not right now."

She took a shaky breath, and laid her head against his shoulder. He put his arms around her. No words were said, but as he turned and left, Krista felt that they had been allowed a proper goodbye. She just prayed, to whatever God they had left that it wouldn't be for good.

(this would be a scene break if the stupid website hadn't eaten it)

She got quite a few strange looks when she arrived back at the hotel, and a few of the more daring even tried to ask her a question. She ignored them all, going straight to her room and lying down on the bed, absently tracing the wrinkles in the pillowcase with her fingers. She and Marcus had been here- had it really been only been few weeks ago? She remembered him, every detail, and she reached up automatically to clutch at the necklace. She swallowed and blinked fiercely against the impending sobs. She _would not_ cry.

She sat upright when a knock came at the door, hoping against hope. "Marcus?" she called uncertainly.

The door swung open. It was Sabine, bearing a small scrap of paper in her hand. Krista's heart resumed its position somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

"Mr. Van Sciver called." Sabine dropped the paper on the end table. "He asked me to give you this message. What happened up there? There've been rumours flying around all day."

"Please," Krista said quietly, closing her eyes. "I'd like to be alone for a while."

Sabine nodded, and backed out of the room, closing the door softly. Krista picked up the paper from the bedside table and scanned it. It contained only one line.

_Don't forget to drink._

Krista burst into tears.


	2. Breaking Vows

Heir

author: viorica

Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. tears up you guys are so sweet. goes off on a ramble

_And I had the sense to recognize_

_That I don't know how to let you go . . ._

A week passed, followed by another. Krista didn't speak, barely slept, and moved through the hotel like a zombie. The only thing she did do was obey Marcus's orders and drink, having poured what was left of the serum down the sink. _Screw him_ she thought angrily, _and screw his goddamn morals. Why should I torture myself just because some vigilante Buffy-the-vampire-slayer wannabe says I should?_ She was too ravenous all of a sudden to be sated by the stuff anyway.

She heard little of what was going on in the outside world; from what she could gather, the leaders of the other houses were getting uneasy. News of the Cathon pureblood's death was spreading throughout the vampire grapevine, and everyone was afraid they'd be next. Of Marcus, she heard nothing.

Then, two and a half weeks after the Conclave, something happened that drove all of her other problems from her mind.

She was sitting on her bed, turning the necklace over and over in her hands, giving mental thanks that it had snagged on the banister halfway down instead of going the rest of the way with Chase. Krista was fine with the traitor's being dead, but that didn't mean that she wanted to see the remains.

There was a tap at the window. She pulled the robe shut, and went to investigate, jumping back when she pulled open the curtain, jumping back when she was confronted with Blade's face.

"Where is he?" he growled.

Krista made to close the window, but he was too fast for her. He grabbed her wrist, and her eyes widened as she heard bones crunch. It would heal in short order, but that didn't mean it wasn't incredibly painful. "Shit!"

"I asked you a question," he said insistently, but he loosened his grip a little. She yanked her arm away. "I don't know. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"We had a _deal_, Krista-"

"Had a deal." She glared at him. "I gave you a condition. You agreed, and then you went back on your word. I have nothing to say to you."

"I didn't agree-"

"I saved your ass, Blade." she reminded him. "Several times. I asked for a favour in return, and you agreed. Give me one good reason to trust you."

"What the hell was I supposed to do? He was trying to kill me!"

"You could've walked away!" she snarled. "The bottom line is, Marcus would be dead right now if I hadn't intervened. You promised not to kill him, and you didn't have to. You could have walked away after you killed the purebloods, but no, you had to satisfy your ego by trying to kill Marcus." She glared over his shoulder. "And don't even get me started on Tonto there shooting me."

Shen, who had been perched on the railing listening to the argument, leaned forward and waved his bandaged hand at Krista. "You cut my friggin' fingernails off!"

"I had to!" she shouted back. "Now get lost! Both of you!" She turned on her heel, and started to march away.

"I knew this would happen." Shen remarked to no one in particular. Both Blade and Krista ignored him.

"And by the way?" she added. "Marcus knows I was working with you. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away."

"Too bad you aren't as tough as your brother." Blade fired as a parting shot, before disappearing from the roof. Shen followed suit, and Krista collapsed back on the bed and returned to tracing patterns of the necklace.

(scene)

Crouched in the darkened corner of an alley, Marcus watched people pass by with hungry eyes. Thirst burned in his throat, leaving him slavering to bite into one of their necks. It would be so easy. Just walk up to one of them, talk for a few minutes, convince them to come into of the alley with him, and he would finally have something to drink. He would take down a prostitute if he had to, but it was a last resort, he didn't like running the risk of contracting some blood-borne STD from them. He had to get back to Krista someday.

He missed Krista. Every time he closed his eyes, her face showed on his eyelids. The pain left the same burning pain somewhere in his chest the same way the thirst burned in his throat. Forcing the thoughts away, he stood and approached one of the passers-by- a young girl, with chestnut-brown hair.

"Excuse me," he said, in a tone of voice that almost always worked wonders on human minds. She turned around, and looked him over. "Yes?"

He recoiled. It wasn't just that she was pretty, in her human way. It was that he suddenly saw her the same way Krista would- as a life, a life he wasn't justified in stealing. He wondered if she had a mother, a father, a boyfriend- someone who would miss her if she died.

"Nothing." he muttered.

She gave him a strange look. "Whatever." Miserable and thirstier than ever, he returned to the alley, where he continued to watch for potential targets.

And back in Detroit, Krista stared at a sheet of medical test results, wondering whether to laugh or cry

(scene)

Faye: If you look closely, at the end of the season finale, she is wearing the necklace; as you can see, I made a note of it. And yes, I can see Marcus forgiving her quickly. My judgement isn't clouded. Not at all. shifty eyes

PadawanMage: To understand why Marcus didn't pound her, look at it from his point of view. Both of them are emotionally exhausted. (and morally bankrupt, teehee) Krista could have died twice (fighting Chase, and getting shot by Shen) She saved his life by calling out to Blade as he was getting ready to kill Marcus. As he said (or as I made him say) she had more than one pretty good reason. Plus, when someone you love betrays you, you'll grasp at straws, trying to find an excuse that exonerates them. Plus, I really didn't want to write a five-page scene with them hashing out their problems; I highly doubt the story would be as good if I had.

smithsbabe65- well, y'see, I took care of the oft-pointed-out-problem (see above)

brainfear- so do I!

wolffowler- Aww, thanks. And I just did!

Eve- Too bad they don't really live forever.


	3. News, Visits, and Plots

Heir

author: Viorica

summary: What happened after the Conclave.

A Note About The Story: This fic is going to be separated into two parts. The first spans a five-year timeframe from right after the Conclave, to five years later. Then, Part Two jumps ahead twelve years. You'll see why in a minute.

Chapter 3

_and I forgot to tell you_

_I love you_

_and the night's too long and cold here_

_without you _

_I grieve in my condition_

_for I cannot find the strength to say I need you so_

Pregnant.

She was pregnant.

Shit, shit shit.

A dilemma was at hand- a very, very confusing dilemma. So Krista did what she always did when trying to puzzle things out. She headed for the shower. After soaking for a few minutes, she felt a little better, but no less confused.

What right did she have to bring a child into the middle of this mess? They had no allies. Silently, she counted the potential risks down in her mind.

Number One: Blade. She had no doubt whatsoever that he was capable of killing a child. After all, he had been prepared to off that Vanessa girl, and her baby. He probably wouldn't have any scruples about murdering the child of someone who had turned on him, and someone who had been on his hit list to begin with.

Number Two: Chase. If she was still alive- and Marcus seemed to think so- what better revenge on both of them to kill their child? She certainly wouldn't spare any thought of how wrong it was to murder an infant. Krista choked back a laugh at the very thought.

Number Three: The other Houses, including but not limited to anybody who wanted to take the reins of leadership now that the purebloods were dead. There, she thought, was irony. Marcus had spent the better part of a year trying to kill the purebloods, and now he'd fathered one. Why the hell hadn't they used anything?

_Because I assumed vampires were infertile_ she reminded herself, _and Marcus probably thought I knew, and that I was on something. _If vampires were infertile- and she was now fairly sure they weren't- then where had she thought purebloods came from? _Shit!_

She sighed deeply. Even if she thought that the risks were to great, that she shouldn't go through with it, it wasn't only her decision. Marcus had a say in this too . . . wherever the hell he was.

Resisting the urge to bang her head against the shower wall, she stepped out, wrapped a bathrobe around her shoulders, and padded into the bedroom.

Only to feel an arm snake around her throat.

(scene)

Chase blinked, and lifted her head. She was staring up at a white-painted ceiling, her skull pounding. The beeping of a nearby machine didn't help the headache. How had she ended up here?

Krista. That bitch. She flashed back on their fight, getting tossed down the stairs. She was going to pay her back for that. Just as soon as she figured out where the hell she was, got out, and found out where he targets were. Right. Easy as pie.

Again, she remembered Krista's previous treatment of her- and snarled. Oh, she needed a lesson. The original make-her-watch-Marcus-die-then-torture-her-to-death plan still sounded good. Maybe with a bit more emphasis on the pain . . .

The throbbing in her skull increased as the machines began to beep erratically. A man entered the room, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. His face was impassive.

"Gud." he said, in heavily accented English. "You're awake. Zee boss wants to see you."

She looked at him from under her lashes- she still hadn't lost her touch- and smiled. "Perhaps _I_ want to see _you_." she purred.

His grasp on English might not have been all that strong, but he certainly understood her tone. He sat down on the bed, and she leaned towards him. Very good. If she played her cards right, she'd have the information she needed within the hour.

(scene)

Heart hammering, Krista whirled around to face her attacker, arms up in a defensive position. Then she saw who was standing behind her, and relaxed.

"Jesus, Marcus." she said. "You scared the hell out of me."

"My apologies."

A warm feeling took root in her stomach. He was here. Alive, whole, and . . . blissfully ignorant. She had to tell him. She opened her mouth, but he placed a finger against her lips.

"Sssh." he said, and gently pushed the robe off her shoulders. She leaned up, and kissed him. The news could wait a little while, at least.

They broke apart, gasping. "I seem to have you at a disadvantage." he murmured.

"I can fix that."

"Oh?" His shirt, somewhat worse for wear, was next to come off as they tumbled towards the bed. They spent the rest of the night there.

(scene)

"Blade," Shen said, lifting his head from the computer. "You've gotta see this."

Blade stalked over- he'd seemed extra grim lately, Shen reflected- and peered at the open window on the computer. Then he swore.

"It's dated last week." Shen said, feeling a trifle smug. "You think this is why she's protecting him?"

"I don't know. I don't care. The kid could be a threat. It needs to be taken care of."

Shen's eyes widened. "You can't seriously be thinking-"

"I'm not thinking." Blade said, heading for the doorway. "I already decided."

(scene)

Now dressed, bathed, and bandage-free, Chase smiled coyly once again at her escort. He was glowering, on account of the fact that a nurse had interrupted them before he had a chance to screw her . . . or so he thought, anyway. In fact, the nurse had saved him a head injury, though Chase had no intention of letting that little fact be known.

"The boss is ready for you." his secretary announced. With a final smirk at her escort, who'd introduced himself as "Kurt", she sauntered in.

And stopped short, blinking. She recovered her poise almost instantly, batting her lashes.

"Hello, Boone." she purred.

He hadn't changed much since their last meeting. His hair still stuck up in crazy spikes, and he still had a smug expression on his scrawny face. The only difference was the fangs biting into his bottom lip- jut for show, as vampire fangs fit easily into their mouths.

"Chase," he greeted her. "Good to see you."

"I was trying to kill you when last we met." she reminded him. "I thought you'd be carrying more of a grudge."

"I heard you turned against Marcus," he remarked, circling her. "I thought you might be interested in what I have to say." His hand reached for her breast, and she grabbed his wrist.

"I could snap your neck, sweetheart," he warned, his tone darkening. She only smiled, twisting his wrist until she heard bones break. "Is that so?"

He yanked his wrist out of her grasp, and backed away. "This is a one-time offer."

"I'm listening."

"His girlfriend- Krista- has a bun in the oven." he informed her. "And it gets better- it's his."

She bit her tongue to keep from saying, _"Well, whose else would it be, you imbecilic fool?"_ Instead, she smiled again, flashing fang. "Do you have a plan?"

"Oh, you bet I do." he promised. "Just listen."

(Scene)

Krista raised her head, wondering for a brief moment what had happened. Bits and pieces of the night before flashed into her memory. She turned her head on the pillow, expecting to see Marcus. He wasn't there.

Worry zinged through her as she sat up, clutching blankets to her chest. Was he still at the hotel? She threw on the closest clothes she could find, and headed down the hallway to his office.

Sabine was still sitting at her desk, typing faithfully and fielding calls. She'd probably had to field a lot of calls, lately.

Krista stopped in front of the desk. "Is Marcus in there?"

Sabine looked up, startled. "No, I haven't seen him. Is he back, then?"

She blinked. "No, I guess not."

Sabine looked at her curiously. "Is everything all right? You don't look well."

She swallowed, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." Leaving an unconvinced Sabine behind, she walked back to her room in a daze.

She probably wouldn't see him again for months. She closed her eyes and inhaled, fighting the nausea churning in her stomach. A familiar smell wafted towards her, and she looked down to see she'd pulled Marcus's shirt on. She buried her face in it.

Not for months. That left only one option. She'd just have to tough this out, until he came back.


	4. Hail the Conquering

Heir

author: Viorica

summary: What happened after the Conclave.

I'm not sure how good it is . . . I'm still trying to lose my word-count padding habit that I picked up during NaNo (I lost anyway) And for those of you who don't have site membership, and can't sign up for story alerts, I mention updates in my livejournal (there's a link in my profile) So, Happy Holidays, enjoy the chapter. I still have shopping to do . . .

edit For those of you who got two Story Alerts, no your mailbox isn't going crazy. I uploaded the wrong document by accident.

Chapter Four

_All those memories, pain and anger, flood back one by one  
They must be just around the bend, they always come  
At night as I lay sleeping they come to me in herds  
Their lies remain, the dreams the same, it's only fleeting words  
No one calls there in the shadows  
There's no end to the dark_

One month bled into another, and then another, until it was six months to the day since Krista had received the positive test results. She had grown considerably rounder in the intervening time, and could feel the baby moving and kicking inside her. Or rather, the babies- the ultrasound had revealed that she was carrying two. She hadn't asked about genders. _After all_, she mused darkly, _we have bigger problems than names._

She hadn't heard from Marcus since that night. Sometimes, she wondered if she had dreamt it all. On really bad days, she wished she had, and that she'd wake up any minute on the plane home from Iraq. Combat had been a picnic, compared to this. Still, even on the days she wished she had ended it all when she still had the chance, all she needed was to feel the babies push against the walls of her womb, as if trying to were trying to push their way out early, and she felt- even if it was only for a few moments- that everything was going to be alright.

Blade hadn't shown up either, not since she told him to get lost; se half-hoped she'd gotten the message, though she knew him better than that. Chase hadn't been seen or heard of either. One guy had been caught sneaking through the tunnels under the labs, and been executed. He'd had an Armayan glyph on his neck, but that was all she knew. Security hadn't been breached since. So she drifted through the days, the companions co-inhabiting her body her only reason to keep moving forward- them, and the hope of seeing Marcus again.

And then she did.

(scene)

"I don't get it." Boone looked genuinely puzzled, which didn't surprise Chase in the least. The man was a few watts short of a lightbulb, but convinced he was just as bright as one, which meant that she had little say in their strategy. She relished the day when he outlived his usefulness.

"I mean," he continued, his whiny voice rising a few decibels. "we sent him in over a month ago, why hasn't he reported back?"

Chase, one booted foot resting on the table, rolled her eyes. "Because they _caught_ him, and they _executed_ him." She didn't add _You idiot_, though she wanted to.

"Then whadda we do?" he whined. "The only guy I had was Kurt, and he got killed! How are we supposed to-"

Exasperated, Chase took her foot off the desk, and shoved Boone's chair into the wall with it. He glared at her. "Hey! What was-"

"What we do now." she said, through gritted teeth, "is we go in there ourselves, and kill their unborn brat before we kill Marcus and Krista. _Do you understand_?"

Boone spluttered, "Who do you think you're talking to? I run this operation, and I-"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Boone blinked.

Now exasperated beyond endurance, Chase seized him by the collar, and dragged him out of the room.

(scene)

"Krista?" Sabine was peering around the doorframe, looking a bit unnerved. "Mr. Van Sciver's back."

Krista glanced up sharply. "What?"

"Marcus." Sabine repeated. "He's in his office, he wants to see you- is that all right? I didn't tell him about the babies."

Krista ran a hand through her hair, and stood up. _This is going to be interesting._

(semi scene break)

Marcus, looking some the worst for wear after his time away, was standing in his office. Krista poked her head around the corner of the door, and smiled at him. Then she moved into full view, one hand resting semi-protectively over the belly.

Marcus's jaw hit the floor. Te rest of him very nearly followed. "I- you- wha-"

Krista smiled shyly, and moved into the room, until se was standing as close to Marcus as her expanded belly would allow. She tilted her face up and kissed him, momentarily alleviating his stammering. They broke apart, and he slid his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry I left you here." he murmured, his lips against her hair.

"I know."

"How long?"

"Six months. Three to go.

"Six-" He broke the sentence off. "You seem-"

"Bigger?" She laughed, a little nervously. "That's because there's two."

"Two-" He took a deep breath, nuzzling the top of her head. "That's- We're-" He gave up on coherent speech, and kissed her again.

After she gently disentangled her lips from his, she asked, "Are you staying now? What happened with the people who were after you?"

Marcus frowned slightly. "They've been . . . dealt with. Seeing as how I had a poison that could kill them all, they weren't in much of a position to argue." He smiled at her gently, one hand rubbing circles on her stomach. Feeling this, one of the babies kicked his hand. A grin crossed his face.

Krista smiled back at him. "Come on, let's go to bed."

(scene)

Chase, rope secured around her waist, grabbed the wall with both hands, and hoisted herself up, thankful that they were at the back wall of the safe house, and the humans passing on the street couldn't see what they were doing. Beneath her, Boone was still grumbling to himself about who wore the pants in the operation. Pretending to slip, she flailed, "accidentally" kicking him in the head, which shut him up. Annoyed by his presence though she was, she still listened for his climbing up behind her. She needed him for the rest of the operation.

Once she reached the window, she pushed it open- it was unlocked- and slipped into the darkened hallway. It was midnight, and everyone was asleep. Behind her, she heard Boone's less-than-graceful entrance, and she spun around to reprimand him for making noise, the stifled a laugh.

He glared up from his sprawled position on the floor. "Stop smirking."

She ignored him, turning on her heel and marching off down the corridor, leaving him to lurch after her.

(scene)

Marcus, who had been sleeping peacefully a moment before, was woken by a voice next to his ear, saying, "Move, and I slit her open."

He looked up, straight into Chase's malevolent glare. He turned his head to look at Krista, who was lying frozen, with Boone standing over her, knife pressed to her stomach.

"A shame." Chase purred, pressing a sharp fingernail to Marcus's throat. "Such a pretty baby." She sighed. "Too bad his parents chose the wrong side." Krista's fists clenched, but she gave no other sign of awareness.

Boone, cretin that he was, was confident that the knife he was holding would keep Marcus still. He'd forgotten a few things about his former employer. Marcus delivered a right hook to his jaw and an elbow to his gut before vaulting over Krista, being careful not to land on her. After landing on the other side of the bed, he punched Chase in the nose. Compunction about hitting a woman was much easier to maintain when the woman wasn't a bitch.

Krista meanwhile, had pushed herself to the other side of the bed, where she stepped down as hard as possible on Boone's head. While he yelled, she reached into the drawer, and- giving mental thanks for her paranoia- stabbed him through the heart, and watched as he dissolved into a pile of dust. Chase, seeing this, kicked Marcus in the jaw, and vaulted out the window.

Marcus looked at Krista. Krista looked at Marcus. His mouth was bleeding.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. She stumbled around to his side of the bed, where he held her until she stopped shaking.

(scene)

cat- Well . . . no argument there. He always pissed me off

smithsbabe65- Ah, can't give away the ending, can I? And yeah, the odds are . . . not good.

Eve- Thanks for the compliments, and here ya go.

brainfear- It does, to . . . I loved the irony.

Faye- How did they find out? Not everyone in the safehouse is trustworthy. And I'm sure you love it, but Chase isn't too pleased.

carolannw5- Babies actually, as has been revealed.

Rogue Rikku- It's not technically a 2nd season, just a continuation of these character's lives, since it skips twelve years ahead in part 2.


	5. Miracle

Heir

author: Viorica

summary: What happened after the Conclave.

A/N: It took me forever to write this, and I'm sorry for the wait. There's two more chapters (including this one) to Part One, then the story moves into a different phrase. When I got writer's block on it, I put the files aside, and concentrated on other projects. But I was visiting family over March Break, and I got the news that my cousin had a miscarriage, and I felt like I needed to write this- mainly because most of the family is taking an "all for the best" attitude about the whole thing, and it makes me feel better that there's some sort of tribute out there to a baby that no one seems to care about.

On a lighter note, are there any Matrix fans reading this? I started a chapter-length story, which'll probably end up being as long as this one. Am I crazy? Probably. But I'm running low on reviews for that one, so feedback would be appreciated.

Chapter Five

_I remember the nights I watched as you lay sleeping  
Your body gripped by some far away dream  
Well I was so scared and so in love then  
And so lost in all of you that I had seen  
But no one ever talked in the darkness  
No voice ever added fuel to the fire  
No light ever shone in the doorway  
Deep in the hollow of earthly desires  
But if in some dream there was brightness  
If in some memory some sort of sign  
And flesh be revived in the shadows  
Blessed our bodies would lay so entwined  
_

Chase was nowhere to be found, despite the fact that they spent the next few months scouring Detroit for her. The official conclusion was that she'd given up on her vendetta, and moved to a different city- at least that was what Marcus told Krista. She didn't believe a word of it, and secretly, neither did he. For safety's sake- neither of them had forgotten Blade- they relocated to a different safe house outside the city, and after two months, they finally seemed to have regained some sense of security- false though it may be.

(scene)

Krista was walking down the hall- waddling, more like, though the other occupants of the safe house were careful to never put it that way- when her stomach twinged. She frowned, resting a hand on the spot. Where had that come from? She had no time to ponder when pain a thousand degrees sharper than the one before ripped through her. She half-yelped, half-shrieked, scrabbling at the wall as her legs buckled. A hand clasped to her thigh came away sticky with blood. Her head was spinning as black dots danced in front of her eyes. As her eyelids drooped, she saw a figure round the corner ahead of her- Marcus. Thank god. She heard him shout, felt the impact of his feet against the floor as he ran to her, felt his arms go around her before everything went black.

(scene)

Marcus paced anxiously outside the delivery room as noise seeped out from under the door- sharp commands from the head doctor, the bleeping of machines, the clatter of surgical instruments. None of these noises interested him. It was the sound he hadn't heard that was worrying him, chewing at the edges of his mind. Vampire women could die in childbirth- he'd heard of it happening, on the rare occasion that the carried to term- but Krista was young for a vampire. She should be fine. And until now, he'd thought she would be. The doctor in charge had kicked him out two hours earlier- she'd put it in gentle tones, but he'd been consigned to wait outside to hear weather or not they were going to be all right.

One of the aides shyly poked her head outside of the door. "M-Mr. Van Sciver?"

At the apprehensive tone of her voice, his gut twisted into a knot. "Yes?"

"They're going to be all right." He allowed himself an brief exhale, a sigh of relief. "They?"

"Boy and a girl." A small smile. "Congratulations. We had to put the boy in an incubator, he's a bit small, but the little girl's all right. Ms. Starr's fine as well- the anesthetic should be wearing off soon. Here-" She eased her way out of the operating room, a small bundle nestled in a blanket in her arms. Marcus carefully took the baby into his arms, and stared down into her wide-open eyes. She mewed softly, miniscule fingers opening and closing. Pressing a shoulder against the door, he slipped into the other room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Krista, now lying on a cot, smiled blearily at them. "Hey."

"Hello." He knelt down next to her. She reached out a hand, rubbing a thumb over the baby's head. "What are we going to name her?"

He shrugged. "Haven't really thought about it."

She smiled hesitantly. "I thought- that is, I can see why you might mind-" She took a deep breath. "Isabella's a pretty name."

He paused for a moment, then nodded, "It suits her. And the boy?"

There was some sadness to her smile this time. "He looks like Zach."

Marcus nodded, reaching out a hand to stroke her forehead. "You know, "Isabella" means "beautiful"?"

Krista nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Suits her, doesn't it?"

He moved his hand down, and brushed his thumb against her lips. "It suits both of you."

(scene)

Krista, Zach asleep in her arms, turned away from the window and towards the bed. Technically, it was a couch, but she slept there from time to time, when paranoia, and fear for her children's safety got the better of her. Tonight, thankfully, wasn't one of those nights. She was about to settle Zach back to bed before going to bed, but paused when she felt a gust of cold air against her back. She half-turned, expecting that the window had come loose- and then spun the rest of the way around, backing against the crib.

"Hello, Krista."

"Why- why are you here?"

A slight smirk. "I think you know."

Zach, feeling the cold air, woke up, and started to whimper. Krista drew her hand up to protect his face, all the while staring in horror at the man standing across from her.

"Blade," she whispered, "don't do this."

"Sucker-spawn." he spat. "Both of them. You know, most of them turn on me. I don't expect any less. But sleeping with the enemy? That's a first."

Behind her, she heard Bell start to stir. _Please, please don't cry. Don't set him off._

"You know how long it took me to find you?" he continued. "Marcus seems to have wised up a little- didn't put the location of this place into any of the computer databases. Shen wasted three months cracking every computer system in the old safe house. I eventually tracked down another source."

"Wh- what other source?" She had to keep him talking, distract him, until someone came looking for her. She didn't dare shout, and she couldn't run without leaving one of the babies here. She had no choice but to stay here and try to stall Blade.

"I don't reveal my sources, Krista. Another lesson I've learned, ashing vamps- they don't take kindly to double-crossers unless there's something in it for them. Tell you what- you leave the kids to me, and I'll leave you and Marcus alone. Vamps don't care about kids, even when it's _their_ kids."

"_They're like you_!" she screamed, then caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that immediately made her wish she hadn't. Fuck. Now she'd done it. But he didn't move. He stood stock-still, and taking a closer look at him, she realized that that look in his eyes wasn't anger. It was something else- sadness, maybe, but there was another emotion there she couldn't identify. Empathy, maybe? Sensing she'd pushed some sort of button, she rushed on out of desperation. "I love them. We both do. Vampires aren't incapable of love- you're half-vampire, aren't you? Leave them alone. Please, Blade, don't turn them into you."

She stopped talking. His face was a mask. Behind her, Bell was whimpering softly. Then, without another word, he turned and leapt out the window. Knees weak with relief, Krista sank to the floor, slipping her hand through the bars of the crib to reassure Isabella. She could hardly believe that after all these months of fearing what he might do, he'd turned away simply because of a few words spoken out of fear and desperation.

_Vampires feel emotion, _she thought to herself, _I guess Daywalkers do as well. Maybe- maybe he won't come back, ever. Maybe we're safe._

(scene)

A/N: For those who might think their choices of baby names are a bit weird- well, the kids sort of named themselves. I prefer to think of it as them putting what happened before behind them.

Oh, and it's also of note that Marcus is wrong about what "Isabella" means- it's actually derived from "Elizabeth", which means "God is my oath", but it does have "belle" in it, so . . .


End file.
